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North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail


Anthony Ashley
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Lezz thanks for your positive comments as they are always appreciated.

 

Richard I shall research further  based on your suggestions '. Thanks for the options. I have already tried the Penmaenmawr Historical society but no response as yet.

 

David I am not sure how you worked out the dimensions of the Grand Hotel, as I find it impossible to really understand the actual on screen scale when working with the scale maps you suggested. I am not sure how to ensure the screen version is actual size. Your suggestion did give me an idea though as I have an electronic version of part of one the the maps mentioned.  I used a different technique to determine the length of the blue line. I went to Google earth and measured the distance by using their ground measuring tool to measure the length of a large block of houses opposite the railway station in Penmaenmawr. That gave me a ground distance of 60,830 mls, or 60.83 metres. I divided this distance by the length of the building on the 1:2500 map of Penmaenmawr ie 60830 divided by 33mls meaning that each ml on the map I was using was equal to 1,843 mls of ground distance. I then measured the length of the front of the hotel off my map, which came to 44 ml and times this by the 1,843 for a total ground distance of of 81.092 metres. That is relatively close to your 79 metres. In N scale that will be 81092 divided by 148 = 548 mls. This appears to be a much larger area than I was expecting. Thanks for the work on your calculations. 

 

I am finishing painting the cork underlay and track for the track to be laid to Bangor station. Paint should be dry tomorrow ready for laying the cork and track. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

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Anthony, the Scottish historical map site has a measuring tool imbedded in it that allows you to measure both distance and area. It is very accurate as far as I can work it out.

Regards Lez.      

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David and Lez,

 

I looked for a ground measurement system on the old online maps but could not find one. Perhaps you need to subscribe.

 

I might split the difference and go for a round 80 metres. Given the size this will be close enough and given the building no longer exists it is unlikely I would be criticized for an incorrect size building!!! Even in N gauge this makes a very large building  of 548 mls, which is situated at the top of a hill.

 

I have finished off cutting. painting and fitting the underlay cork up to the end of the rail viaduct. All of the rails are weathered and now ready for laying as the next job. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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2 hours ago, Anthony Ashley said:

David and Lez,

 

I looked for a ground measurement system on the old online maps but could not find one. Perhaps you need to subscribe.

 

I might split the difference and go for a round 80 metres. Given the size this will be close enough and given the building no longer exists it is unlikely I would be criticized for an incorrect size building!!! Even in N gauge this makes a very large building  of 548 mls, which is situated at the top of a hill.

 

I have finished off cutting. painting and fitting the underlay cork up to the end of the rail viaduct. All of the rails are weathered and now ready for laying as the next job. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Of the few photos I've seen on Google it does indeed look like a very large building. My suggestion would be to build it to a smaller scale, say 1:200, otherwise it could well overwhelm the whole scene. Try a few mock-ups at different sizes to see what looks right.

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Grand_Hotel_1_Close.jpg.79eec3510ddbb536bde84dcf2333aa96.jpgAnthony

I came across a couple more photos of the Grand Hotel in Penmaenmawr. One is taken from a similar viewpoint to one I sent previously but I think it's closer. I can remember as a 10 yr old boy looking over the wall at the rusting DeWinton !

HowardGrand_1963_close.jpg.c8ac3a3cbd76a6c35a30dea5ca337f0d.jpg

 

Edited by Howard O
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Howard, 

 

Thanks very much. Your photos of the hotel are the best I have seen and show an entirely different aspect on the second photo. Very valuable and will greatly assist. I have researched the internet again but will little success. I sent an email to the Penmaenmawr historical society but no response as yet. I will need to closely compare the 4 photos I have to try to sort the aspect of each.

 

Thanks again a fantastic contribution.

 

I am proceeding slowly with droppers on the top section of Bangor. It is slow as I am properly cleaning each section of track prior to laying as it has not been done for 5 years. I am using 3,000 grit sand paper and Innox.

 

Regards,

 

 Anthony Ashley

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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RJS,

 

A great idea but would be very difficult to implement given my construction technique for the viaduct. The base is made of 8ml ply with 8 ml ply supports between each arch. The under arch covers are well and truly stuck on. I understand the road base can only be .5ml for magno rail. The only way to do this would  be to put a new road base over the top of the existing road base to create a pocket for the magno rail components. This would mean raising the wall height. Not sure I want to undertake that tasking but it is a great idea. I shall plan for another opportunity elsewhere on the layout. Thanks for the idea it is greatly appreciated. 

 

I have progressed with the wiring for the eastern end of Bangor (top of the layout). I have also finished laying the cork for the rest of the western end of Bangor. Photos are below.  

Eastern area has been wired to dropper stage.

 

IMG_5907V2.jpg.9b25490769543fe895644c1c314d82b8.jpg

 

IMG_5908V2.jpg.2a7b3a62b4db22bcfa034aab05959ed6.jpg

 

A forest of droppers.

IMG_5911V2.jpg.fe6788f1499e0d83fb979ba8d88c4743.jpg

 

Bangor so far.

IMG_5912V2.jpg.e702b7840aaabcbe3cec1a585172807d.jpg

 

New area of Bangor with cork laid.

 

IMG_5913V2.jpg.c28e36c634c173d3bc0815152a77a515.jpg

 

Next is to paint the newly laid cork and go on with the dropper insertion for Bangor.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

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Dear All,

 

Have finished the wiring to dropper stage for Bangor platform lines very nearly. I just need to connect it to the rail in the Penmaenmawr section. I need to lay 3 more pieces of track to mange this. Photos are below. It has taken me about a week to complete the track laying and wiring wiring to the stage of droppers in this area.

 

Photos are below.

 

View from the western end of the Bangor train station. I have inserted a metre ruler in the platform area to give a sense of scale. There is also a coach off in the distance on the main line. The unpainted cork on the right of the track work is the start of the good lines. The goods line will cover the whole of the green support board. 

IMG_5916V2.jpg.b248239be81424227bc7728c08ed5a39.jpg

 

View from the eastern end of the train station at the bottom of my layout. The carriage is more obvious from this end and the metre ruler is reflecting the light

IMG_5919V2.jpg.f7712b6c8116c8a823f18a0eef2aefca.jpg

 

Eastern end of the rail lines in Bangor. I need to finish the last few pieces of track at the bottom of the photo.

IMG_5921.JPG.004cd98e04f94998f3d574b04f091cac.JPG

 

I shall connect Bangor and Penmaenmawr and then focus on wiring  from the droppers to the bus line at the bottom of the Penmaenmawr area and the Bangor platform area. 

 

All comments are welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley 

 

 

 

  

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Was working down at the viaduct today, and have to say, as I've said before, you've done a great job at replicating it. Its one of them places where you have to go there to realise the scale of the structures there, and youve got it down to a tee.

 

To access it we had to walk past the retaining wall I previously mentioned, but was unable to take photos due to where it is.

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Simon and Wooden Head,

 

The size will make the layout more inspiring in the end, but unfortunately everything takes so long to finish given the size of it. Nevertheless being satisfied with incremental advances is the way to go. I appreciate both of the comments.

 

Caz I am happy to get comments from those modellers living locally in the area, as your reinforcement of the work so far is the best endorsement I can get.  I hope I can get to northern Wales maybe next year but who knows  with current travel restrictions. With a digital camera the opportunity to take 1,000s of photos is available once I am there. I just saw a program on scenic rail journeys from  Pwhelli  to Shrewsbury. The scenery was really spectacular and a worth while option for a possible rail journey.

 

I had 4 days up the coast with Sarah and my Border Collie Darcy. Lots of beach walks but no train modelling. I now will be busy with some work for a week or so starting next week. I have Sat and Sun to start wiring the droppers for the end of Penmaenmawr and the Bangor Platform tracks to the plastic terminals and then to the power bus lines.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley   

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dear All,

 

I managed to complete the final sections for track laying with droppers. I now have the whole scenic track done minus the goods yard in Bangor. I also have to do the two 34 track storage yards and about one third of the hidden loop around the  inside walking area of the layout. None of these are critical to getting a loco running around the scenic area.  Will continue the wiring to plastic strips for Bangor and the connecting area from Penmaenmawr. This will be difficult without 2 people, one for above the layout soldering copper ends to the wires and the other under to connect that wire to the droppers. My son may help me tomorrow so I might get a lot done. Seeing a train run all the way around would be an achievement after 8 years!!!!

 

I shall then continue with the lower cliff faces between the mountain and Penmaenmawr. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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John and Simon,

 

 A step  closer with all of the track between the main platforms and towards Penmaenmawr have been wired to the plastic terminals. I have about 40 more pieces of track to go from dropper stage to the plastic terminal stage to join up to the previously wired track to the north of Bangor with the up and down mainlines.  Once this step is done laying a number of power lines, creating the Bangor scenic switch board and wiring for the plastic terminals to the power lines will complete the Bangor wiring.  I taught my wife Sarah to solder today, as I needed to be under the layout with someone above. She cut the wire to length, soldered on the copper pin and screwed the pin into the plastic terminal strip. My job was to connect the dropper and other wire together under the layout. We completed all of the flexi track pieces between the main Bangor platforms (14 pieces of track in all) This is the blue and green track in the picture below.   Good work and support by Sarah!! I think we will both continue tomorrow. The family that lays track together stays together!!!! I still need to wire from the droppers for the orange and yellow track on the outside of the platforms and then lay all the goods lines in Bangor.  

 

255319660_Bnagor5.jpg.a97a3a03028274515b55e3c784ffea9c.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

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I can’t believe I have missed this masterpiece until now. This is an area that I feel I know well, as my Aunty lives on Anglesey so with countless family holidays spent (and continuing to be spent) there. I’ve driven up and down the A55 quite a lot and you have captured the scenery to an absolute T - it’s scale is also really highlighted well by your N gauge modelling. 
 

I really love the rail and road viaducts. I haven’t read through the whole thread so I’m not sure what period you are modelling but I assume the road viaduct is bi-directional and therefore pre-dates conversion into the eastbound dual carriageway of the A55?

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Adrock,

 

Thanks for your very positive contribution to the blog. If you go to the first entry on page 1 I have a summary of the basis of the layout. It is set in 1960 so yes the road viaduct is dual carriage way and will include 3 stations - Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Bangor.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Has the layout got its own postcode yet?

 

It has been a while since I checked in on this thread and like everyone else I am just amazed.  It takes something special to plan a layout of this magnitude.  It is truly on another level to go ahead and build it!

 

 

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Following on from my last post I made a point of examining the N-scale items at my local hobby shop today (I am an OO modeler).

 

I am astounded at the level of detail you are achieving in this enterprise at N-scale.  I'm 57 and my eyes let me down often enough in OO.

 

I for one am hoping you finish this in your projected time span.

 

 

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